Joao Winckler

The antimicrobial thing is real but only really kicks in at higher concentrations. Diluted to 1:10 or more it basically just becomes a sugar source for soil microbes, same idea as molasses drench. Worth trying on a bed just to see what happens.

Mine's my old Bramley apple. It looks half-dead for about six months of the year and then suddenly it's covered in blossom and I can't help it.

The old fridge buried in the ground is pretty popular for good reason, mostly because the insulation is already built in and you get the seal for free. Main thing I'd watch is drainage - if water can pool around it you'll get rust faster than anything. Metal trash cans work but need more checking. Either way you're looking at a decade or so before serious rot issues if the drainage is sorted.

Yeah that board trick is really solid for getting them to germinate. Keeps the moisture in without needing to water constantly. Zone 9B mid-summer must be warm but carrots are surprisingly tough once they're past germination, it's that first week where they give up if the soil dries out even once. Curious to see how they come out.

Zero water through a Portland summer is impressive, most seedlings still need a bit of help the first year. Self-seeding with known parents on top of that is the best kind of find.

The Italian lupini method is essentially what you're describing, long soaking with daily water changes. The commercial varieties sold in Italy are bred for lower alkaloids though, so Lupinus polyphyllus might need more patience than the recipes suggest. Curious to hear how your batch turns out.

The outer ring pattern is usually poor pollination, the florets open from outside in over a week or so and if bees don't visit consistently through that window the inner ones miss out. Not much you can do really other than hope for good bee activity during flowering. My large-headed ones always have a thinner centre than the small oil types.

Worth testing. The leaves are genuinely massive for mulch and if it just keeps generating them year after year without seeding that would be pretty handy. Mine regrow from the crown after cutting but I always assumed they'd eventually give up or find a way to set seed. The comfrey comparison is interesting, be curious to see if the regrowth stays as vigorous over multiple chops.

I've had the same frustration with Illinois Everbearing cuttings, air-layering was the only thing that worked for me too. For moving them, I found waiting until you see new growth from the tip of the air layer was the safest signal that the roots are ready. Lost one by moving too early, the roots just weren't there yet.

ha, same situation here, birds are absolutely relentless with cherries. I barely get a quarter of what the tree produces before they've had the lot. Starting to think dehydrating whatever I do rescue is actually smarter than freezing, at least it clears up the freezer space.